10 Quotes About Refugees That Put The Immigration Order In Perspective

As people flock to airports around the country and scramble to help people win or regain entry into the U.S., I have to wonder what's going on in the minds of people who have spent years in the vetting process, only to have their efforts shot down with the stroke of a pen. The following quotes from authors about being a refugee won't put you in the shoes of people who have been displaced by famine, war, persecution, or another conflict, but they may give you some insight into what life is like for people who don't lack merely a home, but a home country.

1"People come here penniless but not cultureless. They bring us gifts. We can synthesize the best of our traditions with the best of theirs. We can teach and learn from each other to produce a better America."

6"[R]efugee problems don't end simply because journalistic interest moves elsewhere. The inhabitants themselves are irremediably stuck. They can't go back to Somalia because it isn't safe."

7"The choice is not between the current crisis and blissful isolation. The choice is between the current crisis and an orderly, managed system of mass migration. You can have one or the other. There is no easy middle ground."